


Polar Bear

by Hannibal_X_Will



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: AU, Adorable, Arguing, Bickering, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Lights, Daryl's nickname is Bear, Domestic Fluff, Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, Fluff, Funny, Light-Hearted, M/M, Old Married Couple, One Shot, it's cute, no zombies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-09
Updated: 2015-12-09
Packaged: 2018-05-05 20:23:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5389043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hannibal_X_Will/pseuds/Hannibal_X_Will
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rick has been asking Daryl for over a week to put the Christmas lights up outside but it's Christmas Eve tomorrow and his boyfriend still haven't done it! He'll just have to do it himself, what could possibly go wrong?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Polar Bear

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Daryl_Grimes (Loki_Likey_Thor_Odinson)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loki_Likey_Thor_Odinson/gifts).



> Just a fluff one-shot I got inspired to write because of this fic: http://archiveofourown.org/works/5386094
> 
> Enjoy <3

“Rick!” Shouted Daryl from the ground as he craned his neck to see his boyfriend perched precariously on their roof, thick bundle of Christmas lights hitched over his shoulder. “What the bloody hell are you doing? You could fall and break your neck!”

Rick waved his hand dismissively at Daryl below, inching along the roof just a hard gust of wind whipped down the suburban street, making him wobble. Daryl swore loudly, instinctively moving to stand directly underneath where Rick was, as if he was hoping to catch and save him if he fell.

“I wouldn’t be up here if _someone_ had done as I’d _repeatedly_ asked and put the lights up!” Rick shouted down to Daryl as he straightened up and began untangling the mess of wire and bulbs.

“I said I would do it tomorrow!”

“Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, Daryl! And you said that nine days ago!” The wind gusted again and Rick swayed like a man trying to find his sea-legs on a ship.

“Rick, get down! You’re gonna fall!” Daryl was seriously getting worried now. It had snowed the past few days so everything was blanketed in the slippery white powder, including the roof his insane boyfriend was now clambering over.

“It hurts that you have so little faith in me, Bear!”

Normally Rick using his nickname would bring a smile to Daryl’s face but tonight it only made him scowl. He noticed the ladder propped up against the side of the house and walked briskly over to it, shivering as his boots crunched on the snowy ground.

“Rick, if I come up there now and takeover doing the lights, will you please get down?”

“I can do it, Daryl! Stop worrying so much. I’m a cop, remember? I catch murderers for a living, I think I can manage to put up some lights!”

“Your last murder case was over four months ago!”

“What can I say, you just can’t get the criminals nowadays.” Daryl couldn’t see Rick’s face but he was sure the man was winking at him.

“I’m gonna kick your arse, Grimes!” He growled, stepping back from the ladder to catch sight of his boyfriend on the roof, silhouetted against the light sky. He noticed then for the first time he was only wearing his uniform jacket. “You’re not even wearing a fucking coat! You’ll catch your death!”

“Jesus Christ, Bear, you’re worrying more than my mother ever did in my whole childhood!” Rick shouted, bending over to lay out the lights neatly. Suddenly he slid slightly down the roof, his foot getting caught in the guttering, “Damn it!”

“Rick! That’s enough, I’m not joking around anymore, get off the fucking roof, right now!” Daryl’s heart was pounding and he licked his cold, dry lips anxiously.

“No! You couldn’t be bothering to do it so I have to! Maybe next year you’ll listen to me!”

“Rick –“ but the rest of Daryl’s words died on his tongue as Rick pulled his foot out of the gutter only to slip and loss his balance. “Rick!” Daryl shouted, his heart lurching against his ribs and his stomach dropping. His boyfriend yelled out as he tumbled over the edge of the roof and fell straight into a snowdrift below.

“Oh my god!” Daryl dashed over, expecting to see blood and limbs bend at funny angles, but Rick seemed unhurt. He was staring wide-eyed up at the sky, flat on his back. “Rick?” Daryl knelt next to him, reaching out to touch his chest, “Are you alright?”

“My arse hurts,” his boyfriend groaned, sitting up awkwardly and wincing. He lifted a hand and rubbed the back of his head, snow fluttering down. Daryl let out a huge sigh of relief then anger washed over him. He hit Rick on the shoulder making his boyfriend yelp.

“You fucking idiot, Rick! I told you to get down! If you hadn’t fallen into the snowdrift you could have broken your leg, or worse!”

“Bear,” Rick interrupted him, reaching out and putting a freezing cold hand against Daryl’s cheek, “I’m ok, honestly.”

Daryl sagged, reaching out and pulling Rick into his arms. He hugged his fiercely, burying his face into his neck.

“Ouch, Daryl, not too tight. Kind of fragile here,” Rick gasped and Daryl resisted the urge to hit him again. Instead he helped Rick to his feet and glanced up at the half decorated roof.

“How about we call it quits on the lights this year?”

“You mean you’re still not gonna put them up!” Rick exclaimed, “I just fell off a fucking roof!”

Daryl lost it and tackled Rick but the sheriff was too quick, flipping them over and pinning Daryl down into the snowdrift. Daryl’s vision went white momentarily as the snow cascaded down over him. He heard Rick laughing hysterically as he shook his head, getting the snow off his face. He grumbled as freezing wetness seeped down the back of his neck and the collar of his coat. Rick was standing over him, looking triumphant and grinning like a madman.

“What?” Daryl snapped, heaving himself up out of the deep snow.

“You’re a polar Bear now.” Daryl looked down at himself and saw Rick was kind of right, he was covered in white snow. He looked back up at Rick and muttered darkly, “I hate you.”

Rick’s grin only broadened and he stepped in close and wrapped his arms around Daryl’s waist, “You’re my Polar Bear.”

“You’re such a dork,” Daryl told his boyfriend, “Can we please go inside now? I’m freezing!”

Rick glanced up at the roof then back to Daryl, “I purpose the lights can wait till tomorrow.”

Daryl leaned in and kissed Rick a little harder than was necessary, but the sheriff took it all in his stride.

“How about a hot bath?” Rick asked as they pulled apart and began to walk across their front yard towards the door.

Daryl crinkled his nose up, “You know I don’t like baths, Rick.”

“I meant together, Bear,” his boyfriend chuckled, stomping up the front porch steps to the door, getting off the worst of the snow before heading inside. Daryl took off his coat and shook it quickly.

“That,” he smirked, stepping over the threshold into their warm house after Rick, “I think I can get on board with.”

 

***

The next morning Rick awoke to find Daryl had finally put the lights up. If he had known earlier what it took for Daryl to _finally_ do as he’d asked was to fall off the roof he would have done it a week ago.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this :) any comments or kudos are lovingly received. Merry Christmas everybody!


End file.
